The software, brought as a service business model, offer operators benefits such as a low initial investment in technology and a fast time to market.

"We envision a world with 50 billion connected devices in 2020, where everything that benefits from a connection will be connected," says Magnus Furustam (News - Alert), vice president, head of Core & IMS at Ericsson, in a press release. "To get there, Ericsson (News - Alert) is working with telecom operators, selected industry verticals and other players across the M2M value chain to create world-leading, innovative technology and sustainable business solutions."

"Already, mobile connectivity is used—for example—in smart meters and fleet management, and in the future we will see a lot of interesting solutions in which M2M could be useful. This includes all products with software that, if they were connected to a mobile network, could be easily upgraded," continued Furustam.

With Ericsson's Device Connection Platform, network providers can create tailored connectivity and price plans for M2M services. The operators can also adjust according to self-service interface, flexible billing, charging and connectivity plans for all devices connected to the network. As M2M applications can communicate using any existing IP protocol, they can be accessed and share data via Internet. In addition, the operator's customer will be able to manage his or her subscriptions and devices in real time.

"The platform will help operators deliver solutions for devices and applications that have diverse connectivity needs, ranging from sending a single business critical SMS to high-quality video surveillance via the mobile network. Ericsson's Device Connection Platform addresses these needs and is there to support operators in developing their business in new areas," concluded Furustam.

Rahul Arora is a TMCnet contributor. He has worked as an editor and freelance writer for several reputed organizations in India. To read more of his articles, please visit his columnist page.